CHAMPAIGN, Ill.- College Station, Tex. will play host to 28 members of the Fighting Illini Track and Field team beginning Wednesday, May 26 to compete in the 2021 NCAA West Regionals hosted by Texas A&M. Events will begin on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. with the first round of the men's hammer throw and javelin, and conclude on Saturday with the women's 4x400 m relay quarterfinals beginning at 9:15 p.m.
Follow the Action
Fans can follow live results throughout the NCAA West Regionals at https://dt8v5llb2dwhs.cloudfront.net/OutdoorRegionals/2021/West/index.htm as well as by following @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter for Illini updates. Streams will also be available each day for the field events and the running events via ESPN, with the first day being available here: https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=d439ed7a-d130-48d9-99cc-50159e48455c. A full recap of the events will be posted on fightingillini.com following the conclusion of the meet.Â
Past Regionals
The 2020 NCAA West Regionals were canceled due to COVID-19. The 2019 regionals were held in Sacramento, Cal., where the Illini men qualified in three events for the finals and the Illinois women were unable to qualify.
Illini to Watch
Jon Davis
2021 Outdoor Season: First Team All B1G (1500m)...Named B1G Track Athlete of the Week 2x (4/14, 4/28)...Big Ten Champion in the 1500 m, earning 10 points for his team...Won the 1500 m at the B1G Invite #2 with a time of 3:41.01...Won the 800 m at the B1G Invite #3 with a time of 1:48.77, a personal best ...Won the 1500 m at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a time of 3:39.85, a new personal best and the third fastest time in school history
2021 Indoor Season: Second Team All B1G (DMR)...A part of the second place DMR squad at the B1G Championships...Won the 3000m at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational with a time of 8:08.85
Manning Plater
2021 Outdoor Season: Named B1G Field Athlete of the Week (4/14)... Placed third at the B1G Championships in the hammer throw, earning six points for the team...Placed eighth in the discus at the B1G Championships, picking up a point for the Illini Placed fifth in the discus at the B1G North Florida Invite with a 163-9 ft. throw...Took third place at the B1G North Florida Invite in the hammer throw with a 208-5 ft. toss...Won the hammer throw at the B1G Invite #2 with a 69.82 m toss, breaking the Illinois school record in the event...Won the hammer throw at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a toss of 68.97 m...Won the hammer throw at the Billy Hayes Invite with a mark of 69.26 m...Currently holds the hammer throw record for the University of Illinois
2021 Indoor Season: All-American - Weight Throw...Placed Third in the NCAA - Weight Throw...B1G Champion - Weight Throw...First Team All Big Ten...Named B1G Field Athlete of the Week (1/17-1/23)...Placed third in the weight throw at the NCAA Championships with a toss of 74-7, earning him All-American Honors and the Illinois school record...Won the conference title in the weight throw with a 72'9" toss ...In his first action as an Illini, won the weight throw at the Badger Icebreaker with a toss of 73'6", four inches short of the school record...Won the weight throw at the Husker Quad with a throw of 72'8"...Won the weight throw at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational with a throw of 70'10.5"...Currently holds the weight throw record for the University of Illinois
Jonathan Wells
2021 Outdoor Season: First Team All B1G (long jump, high jump)...Won the high jump at the B1G Championships, earning 10 points...Won the long jump at the B1G Championships, earning 10 points...Placed first in the long jump (25-7.5 ft.) and the high jump (7-1 ft.) at the B1G North Florida Invite...Placed first in the high jump (2.14 m) and the long jump (7.55 m) at the Husker B1G Invite...Took second place in the high jump with a clearance of 2.11 m and second in the long jump with a leap of 7.48 m at the Fighting Illini B1G RelaysÂ
Career Highlights: 6x All-American (high jump, long jump and heptathlon)...2018 U.S. Championships High Jump 6th Place ...2018 Big Ten Outdoor High Jump Champion...2018 Big Ten Outdoor Field Athlete of the Championships...2017 Big Ten Indoor High Jump Champion...Holds heptathlon school record (5,786 points)...Illinois High Jump School Record (7'5"/2.26m)
Olivia Howell
2021 Outdoor Season: First Team All B1G (1500m)...B1G Champion...Won the 1500 m at the B1G Championships, while setting a new school record with a time of 4:12.86...Won the 800m at the B1G North Florida Invite with a time of 2:09.55...Ran a 2:13.12 opening split as a part of the 2nd place 4x800 team for the Illini at the B1G North Florida Invite... Won the 1500 m at the B1G Invite #3 with a time of 2:18.61, setting a PR and moving into fourth place in school history in the event... Placed second in the 800 m at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a time of 2:06.88... Won the 1500 m at the M City Classic with a time of 4:18.67
2021 Indoor Season: B1G Champion - Mile...First Team All B1G (Mile)...Won the mile at the Big Ten Championships with a 4:43.36...Set the Illinois school record in the 1000 m while winning the event at the Badger Icebreaker with a time of 2:46.52...Won the 800 m at the Husker Quad with a time of 2:09.84...Won the mile at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational with a B1G leading 4:40.85...Anchored the first place distance medley relay team at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational
Jessica McDowell
2021 Outdoor Season: Placed third in the 400 m to reach the podium and earn six points for Illinois at the B1G Championships ...Took fourth place in the 100 m at the Big Ten Invite #1 to open the year with a 11.93...Placed fifth in the 200 m invite at the B1G North Florida Invite with a 24.07...Placed second in the 400 m invite at the B1G North Florida Invite with a 55.30... Placed second in the 400 m at the Husker B1G Invite... Won the 400 m at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a mark of 54.28... Won the 400 m at the M City Classic with a time of 53.37, moving into seventh place in school history in the event
2021 Indoor Season: Second Team All B1G...Took second place in the 400 m at the Big Ten Championships with a PR of 53.51. This time is also good for third in school history...Secured second place for the Illini at the Badger Icebreaker in the 60 m with a time of 7.65...Placed second and broke her PR in the 400m at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational with a time of 55.67....Finished in third at the Husker Quad in the 200 m and the 400 m with times of 24.38 and 55.18, setting two personal records...Took third place in the 200 m dash and the 400 m dash at the Hawkeye B1G Invitational with respective times of 24.44 and 54.48...Her 400 m time added her to eighth place in school history in the event.
Complete List of Illini Qualifiers
| Â Illinois Qualifiers |
| Event |
Athlete |
Qualifying Mark/Time |
Notes |
| 1500 m |
Jon Davis |
3:39.85 |
- First Team All B1G (1500m)
- Named B1G Track Athlete of the Week 2x (4/14, 4/28)
- Won the 1500 m at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a time of 3:39.85, a new personal best and the third fastest time in school history
|
| 110 m H |
Bret Dannis |
13.79 |
- Placed seventh in the 110 m hurdles at the B1G Championships to earn two points for the team
- Placed second in the 110 m hurdles at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays with a personal best mark of 13.79
|
| 400 m H |
Robert Williams |
51.83 |
- First Team All B1G
- A member of the B1G Champion 4x400 relay team that took first place, earning the squad 10 points
- Placed seventh in the 400 m hurdles at the B1G Championships, earning the team two points
|
| High jump/long jump |
Jonathan Wells |
2.20 m/7.81 m |
- First Team All B1G (long jump, high jump)
- Won the high jump at the B1G Championships, earning 10 points
- Won the long jump at the B1G Championships, earning 10 points
|
| Pole Vault |
Cooper Jazo |
5.19 m |
- Tied for first place at the Husker B1G Invite in the pole vault with a 5.19 m clearance, his outdoor PR
|
| Shot put |
Tyler Sudduth |
18.41 m |
- Placed eighth in the shot put at the B1G Championships to earn the Illini one point
|
| Hammer throw |
Manning Plater |
69.82 m |
- Named B1G Field Athlete of the Week (4/14)
- Placed third at the B1G Championships in the hammer throw, earning six points for the team
- Placed eighth in the discus at the B1G Championships, picking up a point for the IlliniÂ
- Won the hammer throw at the B1G Invite #2 with a 69.82 m toss, breaking the Illinois school record in the event
|
| Javelin |
Shrey Chowdhary |
61.77 m |
- Placed sixth at the B1G Championships in the javelin, earning three points for Illinois
- Took second place in the javelin at the Big Ten Invite #1 with a 58.02 m throw
|
| 4x100 m |
Jason Shannon, Declan Rustay, Bret Dannis, Jason Thormo |
40.08 |
|
| 4x400 m |
Jason Thormo, Kashief King, Aman Thornton, Robert Williams |
3:06.26 |
- Won the Big Ten Championship in the event
|
| 100 m |
Nya Carr |
11.62 |
- Finished in fifth place in the 100 m at the B1G Championships to earn four points for her team
|
| 200 m |
Amira Aduma |
23.76 |
- Placed third in the long jump with a PR mark of 6.02 m and second in the 200 m with a PR time of 23.76 at the M City Classic
|
| 400 m |
Jessica McDowell |
52.91 |
- Placed third in the 400 m to reach the podium and earn six points for Illinois at the B1G Championships
|
| 1500 m |
Olivia Howell |
4:12.86 |
- First Team All B1G (1500m)
- B1G Champion
- Won the 1500 m at the B1G Championships, while setting a new school record with a time of 4:12.86
|
| 1500 m |
Mikaela Lucki |
4:23.24 |
- Achieved this mark in the prelims at the Big Ten Championships where she placed fourth
|
| 5000 m |
Rebecca Craddock |
16:18.16 |
- Took eighth place in the 5000 m at the B1G Invite #3 with a 16:18.16, placing her sixth in Illinois history in the event and setting a PR
|
| 10,000 m |
Allison McGrath |
33:59.94 |
- Finished in seventh place in the 10,000m at the B1G Championships while setting the Illinois school record with a time of 33:59.94
|
| 400 m H |
Jessica Franklin |
58.99 |
- Took second place in the 400 m hurdles with a time of 58.99 and fifth place in the long jump open with a mark of 5.76 m at the Fighting Illini B1G Relays
|
| 3000 m SC |
Ayah Aldadah |
10:18.09 |
- Placed seventh in the 3000 m steeplechase at the B1G Championships, earning two points and moving into fourth place in school history in the event
|
| Pole vault |
Carolyn Nye |
4.17 m |
- Placed second in the PV at the M City Classic with a clearance of 4.17 m, the second highest in program history
|
| 4x100 m |
Amira Aduma, Jessica McDowell, Nya Carr, Felicia Phillips |
44.93 |
|
| 4x400 m |
Chisom Nwoko, Jessica McDowell, Felicia Phillips, Olivia Howell |
3:39.68 |
|
Next Up
The Illinois track and field team will have a weekend off in preparation for the NCAA Finals for those who qualify. This event will take place on June 9-12 in Eugene, Ore.
For complete coverage of Fighting Track & Field, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniTrackXC) and Instagram (illinitrackxc) and like Fighting Illini Track and Field & Cross Country on Facebook.
